Boeing patent promises a comfortable sleep at 30,000 feet

Unless you’ve splashed out on a first-class cabin, chances are you don’t particularly enjoy the experience of trying to sleep while flying. Boeing wants to make your snoozes a little bit more comfortable with a newly patented idea that allows you to lean forward in your seat while you doze off.

Here’s how it works: You take out a backpack from under your seat, attach the harness it contains to the back of the seat, and then drift off while leaning forward with your head and arms supported by the contraption. Both your head and chest are cushioned for added comfort.

Sound like something you’d want to set up for yourself at 30,000 feet? Of course this is just a patent so the usual rules apply — it might never see the light of day and it might change significantly along the way. Even so, it’s an interesting idea to help try and solve one of the biggest problems with flying.

Boeing’s documentation goes into great detail about the issues of trying to fall asleep while cooped up in a airplane cabin, including various contortions people try to get comfortable. Using neck pillows or leaning forward onto the food tray are both discussed and dismissed as flawed solutions.

“It is therefore desirable to provide an integrated system attachable to vehicle transport seats for upright support of a seated passenger in a comfortable position for sleep,” explains the patent.

You might look a little bit daft while using it, but most people would probably take that chance if it meant getting some quality shut-eye between airports. Boeing says the harness will be designed to counter the effects of turbulence too, so even bumpy flights won’t interrupt your dreams.

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